Page 14 – Watters Garden Center

03/04/202203/04/2022

A Healthy Evergreen Anyone Can Grow

Gardener Mr Sanders favorite herb is rosemary

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener

Its Latin name, Rosmarinus officinalis, means ‘dew of the sea,’ most associated with healthy Mediterranean cooking.

Gardner Mr Sanders favorite herb is Rosemary

Imagine tumbling Rosemary growing over a wall and spreading across a desert rock lawn. Ideally, this rugged mountain gem is planted over garden walls, pots, banks, or a sunny patch of ground in the garden. Superb as a ground cover for hot, dry locations, its habit is low and mounds just 12″ inches high then spreads vigorously. Deep blue flowers arise in great masses that are both deer and pest resistant.

An evergreen thrifty on water use and stunning when cascading over retaining walls or planters. Creeping Rosemary forms a beautiful carpet of deep blue flowers backed by herbal green foliage for an attractive ground cover. The aromatic leaves are often used as a flavorful culinary seasoning picked from the garden any time of the year. One of its best uses is for erosion control on banks and slopes.

Botanical Name Rosmarinus officinalis

Common Name Rosemary

Plant Type Perennial evergreen herb

Mature Size 12″ inches x 5′ feet wide

Sun Exposure 6+ hours Full sun

Soil Type Sandy loam

Soil pH 5 to 10 pH

Bloom Time March to May, again in Fall

Flower Color Blue, white, and pink

Hardiness Zones 7 to 11 USDA

Native Area Mediterranean

How to plant

1. Dig hole 2-3 times the container’s width but the same depth.

2. Score the root ball sides and bottom with a utility knife or pruners and place in the garden hole.

3. Blend Watters Premium Mulch into the native soil at 1 part mulch with two parts soil dug from the hole and pack firmly around the roots.

4. Sprinkle 7-4-4 All Purpose Plant Food around the planting area.

5. Prevent ‘Transplant Shock’ by adding Watters “Root & Grow “ to your water at 2-week cycles for the first 2 months.

6. Use the remaining Watters Mulch around your Rosemary and a top dressing. This extra step prevents weeds, insulates roots, and keeps the roots moist.

Light

To keep Rosemary happy, give it 6+ hours of full sunlight each day. When growing indoors, place it in a south-facing window for bright light.

Soil

Grow Rosemary in loamy, well-draining soil. This plant is native to the rocky hillsides of the Mediterranean and doesn’t do well if its roots stay soggy. Test the planting hole by filling it with water in the morning. If water is still pooling in your garden hole at the end of the day, you have drainage issues that need more work.

Water

Water newly planted Rosemary regularly with a garden hose for at least one month (2 months in Summer). Automatic irrigation systems may not be sufficient initially. Water frequency will vary according to the season, exposure, and plant size.

April – Oct Rosemary should be irrigated 2 x weekly.

Nov – Mar Rosemary should be irrigated 2 x monthly.

Fertilizer

Feed 4x Times per Year with 7-4-4 All Purpose Plant Food, Soil Sulfur, or Humic. Here’s the recommendation by season:

Spring = All Purpose Food + Soil Sulfur

Summer = All Purpose Food + Humic

September = All Purpose Food

December = All Purpose Food

Common Pests/ Diseases

The biggest problem with growing Rosemary indoors is getting the humidity level right. High humidity and poor air circulation commonly result in Powdery Mildew on rosemary plants. Powdery Mildew is a white, powdery fungus that develops if the surrounding air is humid and there is insufficient air movement.

Bugs to look for during the growing season are aphids and spider mites. These pests seem to live on houseplants through winter. Catching an infestation early makes for easy control. Triple Action by Watters Garden Center quickly cures both Powdery Mildew and most insects organically.

Organic herbs grow naturally in the mountains of Arizona. Lavender to Lemon Grass and Rue to Rosemary; you’ll find the best garden selection of Watters organic herbs in spring.

Garden Alert! Aphids have infested local garden trees until they glisten and look wet. This is dangerous for early spring growth. Treat trees immediately with Watters Horticultural Oil for a completely organic solution.

Until the next week, I’ll be helping locals grow better herbs here at Watters Garden Center.

Ken Lain can be found at Watters Garden Center throughout the week, 1815 Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his website at WattersGardenCenter.com or Top10Herbs.com.

02/24/202202/24/2022

9 Garden Tasks for Better Gardens this Spring

By Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener

Spring weather signals the start of specific gardening tasks essential to maintaining a vital, healthy garden. I’m a list type of gardener, and the following is my springtime procedural list in order of personal priority. Hope it helps you and your gardens.

#1 – Finish pruning everything in the yard, including roses, fruit trees, and summer-blooming shrubs. Then rake up old leaves, cut back dead growth on perennials, and remove leftover annuals and vegetables from gardens and containers. Link to Pruning Guide.

#2 – Apply Weed & Grass Stopper – This granular seed killer stops the worst of early spring foxtails, dandelions, and horehounds from emerging in rock lawns and flowerbeds. It must be applied before the weeds develop or it loses effectiveness.

#3 – Watch for aphids on willows, aspens, and apple trees. These pests are easily eliminated with a liquid ‘Triple Action’ application. All fruit trees should be sprayed before their spring bloom. Spray roses at the same time.

#4 – Feed everything in the landscape by the end of March. Feed everything, the lawn, flowerbeds, shrubs, trees, and all your gardens. The entire landscape should receive a generous dose of 7-4-4 ‘All Purpose Plant Food.’ To really bring out the color, fragrance, and health of your plants, apply ‘Soil Sulfur’ simultaneously. Keeping healthy plants fed is a complicated topic. Ask for my 4-step program for a better landscape the next time you visit.

Don’t forget your natives! The amount of moisture will produce a bumper crop of bark beetles that will seek out weak evergreens. A well-fed and healthy landscape can defend itself against these vicious forest invaders.

#5 – Top dress flower beds, shrubs, and trees with a 2″ layer of shredded cedar bark or composted mulch. This new layer of protection insulates the roots from the cold nights and drying spring winds ahead. This simple act also keeps weeds at bay and encourages better root formation.

#6 – Use my ‘All Purpose Plant Food’ 7-4-4 to nudge awake old lawns and jump-start new seedlings. March is the best month to start a new lawn or overseed an old one. For more detailed advice, ask for my “11 ½ Steps to New Lawns and Overseeding” handout.

#7 – Pine scale will make an unwelcome appearance in just a matter of days. Watch for signs and treat with my specially formulated ‘Plant Protector.‘ An Arborists is not needed to apply this easy-to-use bug solution. One application protects trees for the entire year. Besides those trees that are attacked by scale, I definitely recommend feeding stressed trees. Reading into the theme here?

# 8 – Amend your Gardens before planting. Turn a 2″ inch layer of composted mulch and deodorized manure at a 50/50 mix into your gardens. At the same time, turn Calcium Nitrate and organic 6-4-4-7 ‘Fruit and Vegetable Food’ into your garden’s soil to one shovel’s depth. You are now ready to plant spring flowers, herbs, and vegetables for a bumper harvest this year!

#9 – Go ahead and plant early spring flowers and vegetables as soon as the soil is prepped. Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, garlic, and onions arrived at the garden center. Pansies, violas, dusty millers, English primroses, poppies, and early spring blooming perennials are ready to plant. These plants love the warm days and the chilly nights of early spring.

That’s the list. Indulge your garden with these minimal tasks, and you’ll find your spring flowers brighter, the evergreens greener, and your spring growth more exciting than ever.

Free Gardening Class every Saturday held at Watters Garden Center

March 5 @ 9:30 am: Spring To-Do List for Better Gardens

Finally, a To-Do list you’ll actually enjoy! This class discusses all the garden “P’s”: Preparation, Prevention, Protection, and Pruning.

March 12 @ 9:30 am: Watters 60th Spring Open House and the 2022 New Plant Introductions

Advanced gardeners and newcomers alike will learn about all-things-spring this weekend as we go geeky with plants.

March 19 @ 9:30 am: Evergreen Landscapes and Bark Beetles

This class covers not only the evergreens that grow most successfully but the simple steps to protect them from stress and environmental intruders like borers and bark beetle, and more.

March 26 @ 9:30 am: Proper Planting in Mountain Soils

We’ll take an in-depth look at how to be successful when planting your personal paradise. We’ll discuss techniques for brighter, more beautiful gardens and how to keep them healthy.

Until next issue, I’ll be helping gardeners here at Watters Garden Center.

Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his website at WattersGardenCenter.com or Top10Plants.com.

02/24/202202/24/2022

A Tribute to Our Founder Harold Watters

Harold Leroy Watters, 84, beloved father, husband, and great-grandfather ascended heaven-bound with his Lord and Savior on February 15, 2022.

In Wellington, Ohio, Harold was born to doting parents Richard and Edna Watters on March 17, 1937. His mother often said Harold has ‘Ants-in-His-Pant’ for the amount of energy he had, always in motion. He grew up with a saxophone, hunting, fishing, playing ball, and landscaping for the neighbors to buy his first car.

Asking his new girlfriend, Lorna England, to the Wellington High School Prom, he married his high school sweetheart a year after graduation. They celebrated an incredible 65 years of marriage together.

Arizona had been a state just 46 years when Harold and Lorna packed up the station wagon and moved. Yavapai County was filled with open rangeland and cattle then, and only 12,000 residents lived in Prescott. They may have been from Ohio, but after 60 years of community service, Harold Leroy Watters was a Prescottonian through and through.

There would be no Watters Garden Center without founding father Harold Watters. In 1962, Harold expanded his landscaping company to include a plant nursery. The business was born near the old bowling alley on Plaza Drive in Prescott. The garden center grew as Harold’s family grew, including a pet store and flower shop. His wife and four daughters all pitched in to help. Harold’s love of plants and beautifying his community was integral in all aspects of his life, including family vacations spent touring gardens and nurseries. Harold’s saying to live by, “Put your heart and soul into every activity you do, as though you are doing it for the Lord Himself and not merely for others.” Colossians 3:23

By 1983, the garden center needed room to grow, so Harold moved it to its current location on Iron Springs Road. After 40 years, he decided to retire and passed the torch in 2002 to his youngest daughter, Lisa Watters-Lain, and husband, Ken.

“If you are going to give, give them your time and expertise as well as your money.” Harold served on the Prescott Frontier Rotary, YRMC Hospital, Prescott Chamber of Commerce, and Arizona Nursery Association boards, to name only a few. He thoughtfully made his community a better place to live spiritually, mentally, and physically. His heart was always drawn downtown across from the Prescott courthouse to his church, Solid Rock Christian Fellowship. He taught in-depth Bible Studies as Deacon and shared from the Word of God at the fellowship’s soup kitchen for years.

Searching through his personal bible reveals his heart in so many ways. Until his assertion, he was still talking fervently about the power of God’s grace; his eyes were ever heavenly bound. Harold had many verses to live by with a particular liking for the books of Psalms and 1 John. One had multiple highlights, underlines, and comments in Psalms 118 “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.”

Harold’s passion for plants never faded. Even after 20 years of retirement, he popped in frequently to Watters Garden Center he started and loved.

Sadly Harold lost a daughter, Cheryl Watters, three years ago. His wife, Lorna Watters, survives and three daughters, Joanne Mikkelson (Rick), Terri Watters, and Lisa Watters-Lain (Ken). And by his brother and sister Richard Watters and Jeannie McBride. He brimmed with pride when around his eight grandchildren Raina Dawson, Lexi and Adam Miller, Samantha Mikkelson, Katelyn Lain-Cespedes, James, Meghan, and McKenzie Lain; with even more pride with his four great-grandchildren.

Words of encouragement, memories and sympathy to the family are encouraged: please send to Watters Garden Center, 1815 Iron Springs Rd, Prescott AZ 86305. Thoughtful notes will be read at Harold’s celebration of life on March 17.

02/16/202202/16/2022

Dynamic Dozen Evergreen Ground Cover Plants

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener

Evergreen groundcovers benefit your garden in two ways, each of which has significant value even when found separately on plants!

Evergreen foliage provides visual interest every month of the year.

Evergreen groundcovers lower yard maintenance, fight erosion, suppress weeds, and more.

Search Google, and you’ll be overwhelmed by numerous pieces of advice, much of it tainted for high-altitude gardens. The local gardeners here at Watters Garden Center put this list together of the Best evergreens used as groundcovers, from perennials to shrubs. Each is proven to thrive in the Central Highlands of Arizona.

Here’s the Go-To list of the 12 Best Evergreen Groundcover

Angelina Stonecrop sedums plants along steps

Angelina Stonecrop, Sedums, is considered a hardy succulent that thrives locally. Your grandmother ripely named this perennial flower Autumn Joy Sedum. Chocolate Drop Sedum is a plant she only dreamed of, with deliciously dark leaves and the same bright pink flower that stand knee-high. Many trailing varieties grow well in rock gardens and shallow bowl containers.

Blue Star Juniper Juniperus squamata in a rock garden

Blue Star Juniper, Juniperus squamata, isn’t really a creeping juniper, but it does stay under 3′ x 5′ feet at maturity. A pleasing evergreen cover when grown in a mass. Valued for its blue, awl-shaped, evergreen needles. The bush displays resistance to drought once established.

Candytuft, Iberis, grows evergreen wild through many gardens in full sun and Semi-Evergreen on the darker Northern gardens. Few animals like the taste of this garden favorite; perfect for those interfacing with forest wildlife and prairie Antelope.

Coral Beauty Cotoneaster Cotoneaster dammeri planted in the landscape

Coral Beauty Cotoneaster is ideally suited to flow over embankments and raised beds. An outstanding groundcover with dense foot tall branches covered with shiny evergreen leaves. The foliage is tinged in purple through autumn, enhancing cranberry-type berries’ profusion. Give this low water user plenty of room because she spreads over 6 feet wide by one foot tall. Good on banks and to cover large open areas of rock in hot sunny locations. This cute evergreen rarely gets bugs, while rabbit, deer, and other vermin don’t like the taste either.

Creeping Myrtle Vinca planted in a rock garden

Creeping Myrtle, Vinca, often displays five-petal flowers of intense blue, with newer varieties showing off in white and wine colors. This plant thrives in dry shade, where few plants grow. It’s a real problem solver in the garden. The plant creeps and crawls through the gardens that choke even the toughest weeds. So much so it may need annual maintenance to prevent it from jumping from garden to garden.

Creeping Phlox, Phlox subulata growing over rocks

Creeping Phlox, Phlox subulata, is a ground cover for the blistering sun. It prefers the soil to be kept evenly moist but tolerates dry soil. The needle-like leaves prevent moisture loss on dry, windy days. A thick mat of bright flowers covers this perennial through spring and early summer. Red, pink, white, lavender, and purple are possible flower choices. This semi-evergreen grows in garden zones 3 to 9. Grow masses of the plant on a hillside, where they double as erosion-control plants. When this plant spreads in excess, divide them and spread their beauty to other parts of your garden.

Thyme Creeping between a flagstone path Thymus citriodorus

Creeping Thyme, Thymus citriodorus, is low water, low care plant that thrives perennially in the blistering sun. Like most Mediterranean herbs, it thrives in dry, well-drained soil and is impervious to rabbits and Javelina. Thyme forms a thick carpet covered in pink flowers through summer. The fragrant leaves fill the garden air with beauty and the perfect plant to walk, step, and stroll on. Even your dogs smell better after rumbling through this mountain bloomer.

Groundcover Juniper, Juniperus horizontalis on a rock lawn

Groundcover Juniper, Juniperus horizontalis, is classified as a shrub. Its creeping form bridges the gap between sub-shrubs and most shrubs. Often used to hold back erosion-prone hillsides with their robust root system. Best of all, the animals detest the taste of juniper. They love lots of sun, low water, and even lower maintenance.

Honeysuckle, Lonicera, is an excellent mountain vine with fragrant yellow flowers that loves blooming in the summer heat. Wind, drought, deer, Javelina are no problem. Ideal at growing up fences, walls, or as a groundcover. An excellent solution for a fast-growing screen, even in the poorest of soil.

Lenten Rose, Helleborus orientalis in a container

Lenten Rose, Helleborus orientalis, is a sure sign of spring when this low perennial blooms in March. Added benefits with Lenten rose are that it reseeds well and is as gopher resistant as gopher spurge. This shade lover needs an average amount of water. The leathery leaves is unique to this hardy shade lover with flowers that bow and nod through the coldest days of spring. They look best planted on a berm and even better when in a glazed container next to the front door.

Moonshadow Euonymus, Euonymus fortunei, is a broadleaf evergreen shrub for Garden Zones 5 to 8. Variegated leaves are the trademark of these ornamental shrubs. The bicolored pattern is a reverse version of the ever-popular Emerald’ n’ Gold Euonymus. The green is in the middle of the leaf, with the brighter color is on the edge. The best color shows brighter in full sun gardens growing 2′ feet x 4′ feet.

Wall Germander, Teucrium chamaedrys pink blooms

Wall Germander, Teucrium chamaedrys, is a tough plant, evergreen, and a true groundcover. Transitions locally from perennial to sub-shrubs, with woody stems. It is an excellent choice when planted along walkways in sunny areas.

Until next week, I’ll be helping local gardeners grow better evergreens here at Watters Garden Center.

Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 W. Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his website at WattersGardenCenter.com or Top10Plants.com.

02/09/202202/11/2022

8 Beautiful Houseplants that Thrive in Water

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener

Children find particular joy in plunking a carrot top in a dish of water and watching leafy greens emerge from the top days later? Growing houseplants in water twist the same idea for grownups. Many houseplants are programmed to root from plants exposed to moisture. It’s a survival and propagation adaptation, one that you can take advantage of that multiplies your houseplant collection at no expense. Here are the easiest indoor plants that grow from a single cutting, right in the water.

African Violets in water from leaves are extraordinarily easy with an exact clone of your original plant. I find violets with colorful foliage often grow in solid colors, the same for two-tone flowers. Choose young, healthy leaves to start new plants. Cut the leaf with about two inches of stem, and place the leaf in a narrow-necked bottle to keep the leaf suspended and dry. Roots take about a month to form over time, a tiny plantlet forms, complete with its own crown.

Baby’s Tears plants produce many tiny leaves on creeping plants that form a dense yet delicate trailing mat. Pinch off a cluster of stems, with or without roots, and watch how easily this plant adapts in water. Leaves that are constantly submerged may begin to rot. Change the water weekly to remove any leaves floating in the water, and allow the water level to drop once roots are well-formed and deliver moisture to the plant.

Begonia offers succulent type stems that are very forgiving in water. Even the fancy Rex begonias and tuberous begonias grow in water. Start with hardy wax begonias with knobby leaf nodes that easily form roots. With just a single leaf, you can start a whole new plant. It may take a couple months for roots to develop. Change the water weekly to prevent bacteria and stem rot.

Coleus is so easy to design an entire garden around. We have new colors of orange, purple, and chartreuse arriving this spring. Each is easily multiplied by water cuttings, allowing you to create a colony of this handsome houseplant. Take a six-inch cutting, and remove the leaves from the bottom half of the stem. Place the cutting in a vase of water and watch roots form in several weeks. Change with water monthly and add several drops of Watters Root & Grow for a plant that quickly thrives.

Impatiens are a ‘go-to’ shade plant in Arizona, but it can be challenging to keep them moist. They adore water so much impatiens can grow as marginal pond plants. Snip off a few stems at the end of the growing season, and overwinter them in a vase. In the spring, you’ll have a free supply of impatiens to start your next shade garden.

4 Insider Tips

Cut each stem at a 45-degree angle to increase the plant’s rooting surface.
Dip each branch in ‘Rooting Powder‘ to decrease stem rot and increase rooting.
Change your plant’s water, using only lukewarm water every 1-3 weeks to keep them fresh.
Add several ‘Root & Grow’ drops into each water change for thicker, healthier plants.

Lucky Bamboo is a living centerpiece with no soil required. We often train the green stalks into spirals or woven shapes. The plants often become top-heavy and need more than water to stay upright. Drop some colorful gravel at the bottom of your vase to keep them solid and upright, all while adding some ornamental appeal to your garden creation.

Philodendrons have trailing stems that seem immortal. They look very pretty scattered about in vases of different sizes and colors. As your Philodendron grows, it may need more light if your plant looks spindly. An established plant won’t mind donating several limbs to water cultivation. This ultra-easy houseplant is a no-fail introduction to growing plants in water.

Pothos is perfect for smaller kitchens with limited counter space, grown as a hanging plant or in a water vase. This vining plant is one of the easiest to grow. Place on a table, shelf, or a hanging basket and let the vines grow and trail.

Wandering Jew plants fill a color gap in the houseplant collection like no other. Both the zebra-striped variety and the purple-leafed cultivar are well-adapted to houseplant life. They make a handsome focal point in rooms with moderate light. If you’ve ever trimmed up a wandering Jew plant and noticed that a stray clipping looked lively a few weeks later, this is a clue to the ease with which you can grow these plants in water. Look closely at the leaf nodes along a stem, and you’ll see root nubs waiting to grow. Add some limbs to a mason jar of water, and the plants will keep up their growth in your home.

2022 Free Gardening Classes every Saturday @ 9:30 am

Spring classes and instructors are finalized, and the rest of the Spring schedule is completed. Here are the topics for the following three garden classes in February.

February 12 – Mountain Fruit Trees and the Heavy Harvest

February 19 – Gardening for Newcomers

February 26 – Evergreens that Bloom Early

Until next week, I’ll be helping local gardeners grow better houseplants here at Watters Garden Center.

Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 W. Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his website at WattersGardenCenter.com or Top10Housplants.com

02/02/202202/03/2022

Best Annuals to Grow from Seed

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener

A handful of flower seeds starts an entire garden full of color, fragrance, butterflies, and joy. Starting seeds in the garden is easy, though it does require some planning and patience. The seed shortage of the last two years has left gardeners wanting, and 2022 is no different. Look for quality seed with a test date on the back of the label that certifies vitality within the last nine months. Grab your seed early for a decent selection. Here are my favorite easy-to-grow annuals anyone can succeed with.

Tip – Many of these plants reseed, giving you free plants for the next growing season.

Bachelor Button, Centaurea cyanus, this flower can be sown in early spring around April. The seeds like a chill and the young seedlings can handle cooler temperatures. They take about 10 days to germinate and 50-60 days for the first blooms. You can reseed them in midsummer for a succession of blue blossoms. Bachelor Button attracts beneficial insects, including ladybugs and lacewings.

Calendula, Calendula officinalis, is a lover of cool temperatures. Sow the seeds in the early spring. They take approximately 10 days to germinate, and 45 days later, you will have flowers. The flowers are delicious with a citrusy flavor. Many new varieties celebrate spring with frilly double flowers. Old fashion single specimen reseed more readily but not to the point of being a nuisance.

Cosmos – You won’t find an easier flower to grow from seed. They will grow in the worst soils, springing up as frilly plants with flowers ranging from pastel to neon colors. They take between three and 10 days to germinate and 70+ days to bloom. Cosmos are quintessential cottage garden flowers and make themselves useful when scattered in the vegetable garden to attract pollinators. Sow the seeds once the soil has warmed a bit after your last frost in May.

Flax, Linum usitatissimum, annual flax requires little effort on your part. It takes almost 21 days to germinate and just over 50 days to bloom. Sow your seed in May and mark the planting area, so you don’t accidentally plant something else in that garden. Flax can be floppy, so it helps to interplant them with sturdier flowers for support. Deadheading keeps them blooming throughout summer and often reseeds.

Marigolds, Tagetes, have become somewhat ubiquitous, and that should tell you something about how easy they are to grow. Their large seeds are easy to handle and very reliable. Sow the seeds directly in your garden after our last frost in May, or start them indoors 4-6 weeks before that date. They take around 12 days to germinate and 60 days to bloom. Pinching off spent blooms from young plants can encourage them to bush out and set more flower buds.

Nasturtium, Tropaeolum, the plump, round seeds of nasturtiums are easy to plant, germinating in 7-10 days. They first produce a mound of rounded leaves and then nonstop cheerful flowers on day 60. The whole plant is edible. Even the seeds make great fake capers. Plant the seeds in your garden after the ground has had a chance to warm in the spring. Soaking and scarifying the seeds will improve germination.

Poppies, Papaver pocked at the greenhouse

Poppies, Papaver, are worth growing just to watch the drooping buds burst open and raise their heads high. Annual poppies don’t like transplanting, so directly sowing in the garden is optimal. You can plant in March, even before the ground has thawed. The seeds need some light to germinate, so don’t cover them with garden soil. Simply press down on each seed, so they make good contact with the ground. They take about two weeks to germinate, but when the weather warms, they shoot up. After the seed pods dry, you can shake the flat-topped seed heads throughout the yard to reseed.

Sunflowers, Helianthus, plant a seed and watch it grow 6+ feet tall. Some of the tallest varieties produce only one flower, but it’s usually a massive bloom. If you want more flowers, look for the branching types. Sow your seeds after the soil has warmed in May. They sprout in two weeks, with buds forming 75+ days later. Young seedlings often need protection from animals, such as birds. The taller varieties can be top-heavy and might need staking. Deadheading the branching type encourages even more blooms.

Sweet Peas, Lathyrus odoratus in the garden

Sweet Peas, Lathyrus odoratus, like cool spring temperatures. The seeds take about 28 days to germinate and 50-65 days to bloom. Scarifying and soaking the seeds before planting speeds growth. Also, deadheading the plants can help to prolong their blooming period.

Zinnia are one of the fastest-growing plants from seed. They are true annuals, not just tender perennials grown for a single season. They seem to know they only have a limited amount of time to produce, so they get to work quickly. Seeds take only a week to germinate and 50 days to bloom. Because they don’t like being transplanted, directly sow them outdoors in May and June.

Here you have my Top 10 seed choices. The 2022 seeds have arrived at Watters Garden Center and are ready to plant this spring.

Until next week, I’ll be helping gardeners plant the best flower seeds here at Watters Garden Center.

Ken Lain can be found at Watters Garden Center throughout the week, 1815 Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his website at WattersGardenCenter.com or Top10Flowers.com.

01/26/202202/02/2022

The Best Way to Grow Wildflowers

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener

On the Go Answer – Readers Digest-type Condensed Version of this Article

Wildflowers are best planted in winter

Most flowers prefer at least 6 six hours of sun per day

Hydro-mulch – blend wildflower seed in Watters Premium Mulch and spread

Keep seedbed moist

Plant only perennial wildflower seeds that come back each year

Watters Parade of Poppies mix is the most popular blend of all.

This is the ideal month to start a new wildflower garden in 2022.

Few plants in the garden deliver a natural appearance than wildflowers. Although true success with wildflowers depends on timing, adhere to these simple tips, tricks, and techniques, and you can paint a swathe of color across your springtime landscape.

A pure wildflower seed needs the freeze-thaw cycle of late winter and early spring to germinate properly. This is especially true for the most popular Poppy varieties. Cold weather cracks open a wildflower hull, so they better seed into your garden soil. That is why sowing your wild garden now through March is the ideal planting window.

Good seed to soil contact is essential to achieve a bright wildflower garden. There are seemingly weightless wildflower seeds, as light as feathers designed to float. These are a challenge to get down into the soil. Casually scattering seeds on the unprepared ground bring disappointing results. A bit of work and patience is essential to a successful show of spring blooms.

Four simple steps make the difference in wildflower success. Here are the specific planting techniques that guarantee a breathtaking crop of wildflowers:

#1 – Select & Prepare the Best Garden Site. Most wildflowers need a considerable amount of sunshine so choose a location that receives at least six hours of light daily. Planting in weed-free soil assures optimal results, so pull out anything you don’t want growing with your wildflowers. Then rake the seedbed to loosen the top 1-2″ inches of soil. Better growth occurs when 7-4-4 ‘All Purpose Plant Food’ is mixed into the topsoil. This slow-release plant food provides the specific nutrient needed during the germination and growing seasons.

#2 – Create a Wildflower Hydro Mulch. Often seeds in a mix are so tiny a gardener can barely tell when they land on the soil. Avoid this drawback and buy a bag of Watters Premium Mulch, pour it into a wheelbarrow, and mix in your seed. Spread this seed-mulch blend over the prepared seedbed. A simple trick so you know precisely where each wildflower grows. It ensures good seed-to-soil contact, insulates your seedling, and camouflages them from hungry birds.

#3 – Keep the seedbed moist. If sufficient moisture is present, some seeds can germinate by the end of February. Your wildflowers require supplemental water without enough rain to keep the seedbed moist regardless of planting location. Even better, good snow over your wild garden maximizes germination.

Wildflower Caution! Quality is difficult to spot in wildflower seeds and presents a problem because many shortcuts are taken in the industry. Many blends of wildflower seeds are composed of fillers and cheap annual seeds to keep the cost down. You want high-quality flowers that come back for years of enjoyment. A quality seed spreads blooming joy throughout the gardens.

Arizona Wildflower Blend is my favorite easy-to-grow wildflower. It contains seeds for Indian paintbrush, California poppy, penstemon, columbine, and Arizona lupine, to name a few. This low water, high show mix is a sure success.

Parade of Poppies is the most popular blend of all. Far more than ordinary California poppy, this mix comprises seven different poppy flowers. A spectacular spring show pulsates a cornucopia of colors with flowers of all sizes.

Drought Tolerant Mix is for the zero care gardens so tough it dressed up commercial and investment properties. Deer Resistant Wildflowers is designed for homes next to the forest and the ever-presence of deer. Watters Pollinator Wildflower Mix draws bees back into a garden to help pollinate fruit trees and vegetables.

Ask for my free handout, ‘Growing Better Wildflowers.’ This step-by-step guide helps grow the perfect spring wildflower patch.

2022 Free Gardening Classes every Saturday @ 9:30 am

Spring classes and instructors are finalized, and the rest of the Spring schedule is completed. Here are the topics for the following three garden classes this spring.

January 29 – Why January is the Month to Plant Wildflowers

February 5 – Winter Soil Preparation for Growing Success

February 12 – Mountain Fruit Trees and the Heavy Harvest

Until next week, I’ll be helping local gardeners plant better wildflowers here at Watters Garden Center.

Ken Lain can be found at Watters Garden Center throughout the week, 1815 Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his website at WattersGardenCenter.com or Top10Flowers.com.

01/19/202201/19/2022

6 Insider Tips for Healthier Winter Houseplants

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener

Your houseplants aren’t immune to life-threatening challenges in winter, even though they live in your temperature-controlled climate. Indoor plants are affected by temperature fluctuation from daytime heat to evening chill, dry air, short days, and light deprivation. Your houseplants need help to thrive through the chillier months of winter. Here are my insider tips for better winter care.

Adjust Their Water

It sounds counterintuitive, but indoor plants need less water through winter. Different plants have different water needs—drought-tolerant cacti and other succulents need virtually no water in winter. Some go entirely dormant. Therefore, less water is required to keep them hydrated, and overdoing it can lead to yellowing leaves, even root rot.

The soil on the surface dries quickly through winter, but that’s not a good indicator the plant needs water. Use a professional water meter for the best results. Poke your finger directly in the dirt to see if it’s dry an inch or two below the surface. That’s when it’s time to pull out the watering can.

Insider Tip – Use temperate water, about 68 degrees, to avoid shocking your plants at the root level.

Adjust Their Humidity

Low humidity levels are the most significant hurdle for winter houseplants. Humidity levels insider your home often drop below 20% through winter, and plants prefer a level closer to 50%. If you have a humidifier in your home, move your plants to a spot where they enjoy the humid benefits. If you do not have a humidifier, there are garden alternatives.

Start by clustering your plants in groups. Plants naturally release water through their leaves by transpiring, so grouping them will put that moisture to good use. The kitchen and bathrooms are the best rooms to congregate plants for the steam from showers and boiling water.

Another good option is the old trick of placing your plants on or near a tray of water. Place stones in the water, higher than the water level, and set your houseplants container on top of the rocks. As the water tray evaporates, you create a humid micro-climate around each plant.

Misting tends to be better at making the gardener feel good than your plant. You give the plant some relief, but it’s only a quick blast of moisture. You need to mist multiple times a day to see any benefit because the home’s furnace evaporates water quickly. Give it a try if you only have a few plants. It’s challenging to over-mist an indoor plant through winter.

Attention to Their Temperature

Most houseplants are comfortable with daytime temperatures between 65 to 75 degrees and nighttime temps above 50. Extreme fluctuation in temperature kills houseplants just as quickly as prolonged periods of heat or cold. Keep plants away from cold drafts and heat caused by radiators, ovens, heaters, and fireplaces.

Let Them Follow the Sun

Not only are there fewer hours of sunlight in winter, but the rays shine at lower angles. You may need to relocate houseplants to a brighter room or supplement their light. South and West facing rooms are ideal spots for winter plants. Single pane windows are very drafty in winter. It’s a good idea to keep them several feet away from the drafty winter window, no matter how bright they are through the day.

Insider Tip – Rotate pots when plants are watered. This ensures plants get sun and grow evenly.

Give Them a New Years Diet

Plants grow slowly through winter. Avoid the use of synthetic plant foods. Houseplants prefer a monthly compost tea through until signs of new growth or the green of the existing leaves appear to grow deeper. Watters Root & Grow is a composted tea ideal for better healthy plants inside.

Very little care is needed by houseplants through winter but acts on issues quickly. Insects and leaf disease crop up quickly, even in winter. Fungus Gnats have been an issue all winter with local gardeners. Treat right away with Triple Action to eliminate adult bugs and Systemic Granules for long-term effects on younger larvae. If in doubt, visit our nursery professionals before things get out of hand. See my article on 10 Houseplant Pest and How to Treat Them.

Give Them a Proper Burial

The point is, it’s OK to start over with a fresh new plant sometimes. Give up on the ugly plant you’ve been nursing for the last six months. Once a plant fades to ugly, they rarely come back into something you want living in your home. I’m giving you permission to through away that ugly Poinsettie dropping leaves all over your living room or the Pothos taking over your kitchen cabinets. We live in America; for $30, you can have a brand new vivacious plant thriving in your home any would be proud to grow.

We ended on some levity, but let me invite you to this seasons new garden class series full of informative fun:) Every Saturday morning at 9:30, I host free garden classes correct for our garden season. Here are the garden classes for the next few weeks.

Jan 22 – Top Local Landscapes with Flair

Jan 29 – Why January is the Month to Plant Wildflowers

Feb 5 – Winter Soil Preparation for Growing Success

Feb 12 – Mountain Fruit Trees and the Heavy Harvest

Until next week, I’ll be helping locals grow better houseplants here at Watters Garden Center.

Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 W. Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his website at WattersGardenCenter.com or Top10Housplants.com

01/12/202201/11/2022

5 Ways Houseplants Improve Your Mental Health

Girl with Addicted to Houseplant T Shirt

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener

Girl with Addicted to Housplants T Shirt

There is a good reason those fiddle leaf figs are flying off the shelves. Houseplants are a boon for your mental health. Especially during these socially-deprived and tumultuous times midst COVID, civil unrest, and divisive politics.

Stoneside surveyed nearly a thousand people to see how their plants influenced their stress levels with some fascinating results. They found some of the top reasons for purchasing plants since COVID began are to beautify living spaces (65%), with 54% noting they wanted “to have something else to focus on.” Talking to your plants is apparently normal, with 55% responding they speak to their plants. In the face of months and months of social isolation, we’re all for talking to Farley the Fern and Fifi the Ficus. But beyond beauty and the hobby of caring for plants, they benefit us in many ways.

Houseplants Provide a Taste of Nature

“Houseplants are an easy way to bring the outside in and reap the restorative and calming effects of nature. Time Magazine reported ‘Forest Bathing,’ spending time around nature lowers stress levels, reduces blood pressure, and has an overall relaxing effect on the body.

Tending to plants Teaches Us Self-Care.

As some struggle with their mental health, it’s a comfort to know something as simple as watering a plant or giving your green babies some food is a boon for your mental state. Sabrina Romanoff, PsyD, working at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, found habits formed when caring for plants lay the foundation of doing these things for yourself. They create a positive mental feedback loop. “Plants are a metaphor for ourselves. Tangible evidence of what can happen when we are consistent, do what needs to be done, and adapt to our environmental needs. Plants teach us the outcome is worth the effort and that we are constantly growing and evolving.”

Plants Boost Creativity

There are so many benefits to having indoor plants, especially as people are working from home more and more. As we stare endlessly at the walls of isolation, we need a double dose of creative energy. This includes improved cognitive function and creativity. A Texas A&M study found having indoor plants in the workplace dramatically enhances idea generation, creative problem-solving and boosts concentration. The Dutch have a name for this ‘gezellig.’ This translates to coziness, comfort, and relaxation that provides a sense of well-being.

Houseplants Increase Productive

It is hard to stay focused with endless screen time and long Zoom calls. Plants provide much-needed mojo. A Journal of Experimental Psychology found the presence of plants in the workplace led to increased productivity, positive perceptions of air quality, and higher levels of concentration,” comments Dr. Romanoff. “They observed increased workplace satisfaction with objective measures to increased productivity as a result of plants in the workplace.” She continues, “this is a testament to how plants enrich our environments, mood and well-being.”

Reduces Anxiety with a Boost to Mood

Have a coffee with a friend or take a class at your favorite yoga studio; even going to church right now is difficult during COVID. Adding more houseplants to your windowsill is a low-effort way to ease your mind and lower stress levels. “Exposure to indoor plants has positive effects on mental health. When we’re in the presence of indoor plants, the activity of our sympathetic nervous system, which is the fight-or-flight portion of our nervous system, decreases,” says Dr. Janelle Louis. “Indoor plants promote a sense of relaxation, comfort, and calm.”

Many of us are not lucky enough to walk through a forest. Houseplants are the perfect escape. Research showed active interactions with houseplants such as repotting, pruning, touching, and smell have the same stress-reducing effects as spending time in a forest.

If you are not into owning houseplants, try heading to your local park, a tree-lined path, or a grassy field. “Spending time in green space has positive effects on mental health. Being exposed to green space for as little as 20-30 minutes leads to a significant drop in our levels of the stress hormone cortisol,” says Dr. Louis. “High levels of cortisol for prolonged periods are associated with mood swings, anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns.”

Watters Free Houseplant Class this Saturday @ 9:30 am

We go deep into growing better houseplants. Check out this spring’s entire class selection offered every Saturday at Watters Garden Center.

Jan 15 – Happy, Healthy Houseplants with Professional Style

Jan 22 – Top Local Landscapes with Flair

Jan 29 – Why January is the Month to Plant Wildflowers

Until next week, I’ll be helping gardeners relax with more houseplants here at Watters Garden Center.

Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 W. Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his website at WattersGardenCenter.com or Top10Plants.com.

01/10/202201/10/2022

Better Humidity for Healthier Houseplants

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener

How do I keep my indoor plants humid?
How to naturally humidify my plants.
What is the healthiest indoor humidity?
Best temperature and humidity for plants.
How to increase humidity for plants without a humidifier.

Houseplants thrive with 50% humidity, yet most winter homes barely register moisture in the winter air. The most popular houseplants at Watters Garden Center are native to the tropics or subtropical regions. They flourish in the loamy, humid underbrush of a more immense forest. These plants are poorly acclimated to growing in our typical home. Many of the aroids and most popular orchids fall into this category. Even English ivy is meant to grow in humid and moist forests.

The Percentage Disconnect

For these plants, a humidity of even 50 percent isn’t enough. Some prefer humidity that reaches the 80% range. By contrast, many homes are virtually bone dry, primarily through winter months as heat pumps kick in and blow hot, dry air throughout. In these homes, a humidity of 20% percent is standard.

How to Increase Humidity

Look for signs of humidity stress, such as brown leaf tips or brown leaf margins.

#1 Group your plants. Plants release moisture through their leaves in a process called transpiration. By grouping plants together, you create an artificial microclimate benefiting all the plants. It’s also a good idea to keep plants with similar humidity requirements near each other. When Aroids are your passion, group them together in one place where their more rapid transpiration rates create higher ambient humidity in the growing area.

#2 Place plants in trays with pebbles. This is a popular way to raise humidity immediately around each plant. Use clean trays, put 1″ inch of gravel in each tray, and then set the pots on the pebbles. Fill the tray with water halfway up the stones. Every time you flush your plants, make sure to empty and rinse the tray. This will ensure your tray doesn’t become a breeding ground for insects and reduce the concentration of fertilizer salts accumulated in the tray.

#3 Misting plants. This is another popular method to increase humidity. Keep a misting bottle filled with clean water and spray your plants every so often. Misting is especially helpful at the beginning of the winter season when the humidity drops rapidly with the temperature. Avoid misting plants with hairy or velvety leaves, such as African violets. Misting these plants encourages diseases.

#4 Use a humidifier. Humidifiers raise the humidity in the whole house. Plants love humidifiers as much as you do.

#5 Terrariums. If you’re growing unsatisfied plants, try switching to terrariums. A terrarium is an enclosed environment with soil and a few small plants. The system is sealed, so the plants exhale moisture through transpiration, only to have the water gather on the terrarium walls and fall back into the soil. Terrariums are perfect for smaller plants that require higher humidity and temperatures.

Until next week, I’ll be helping local gardeners grow healthier plants here at Watters Garden Center.

Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 W. Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his website at WattersGardenCenter.com or Top10Houseplants.com.